What to do about robocalls!?

Sometime last year we had a conversation about this and Denise suggested using Nomorobo. I got it and it helped but now it seems like it only catches 30% of spam callers. The robo calls are back in force on my phone and it makes me crazy.

What do you do? Install even more apps like RoboKiller in hopes of catching more?

TechCrunch had this to say today and I wasn't sure I found a lot of hope in the story:

I'm still having pretty good luck with nomorobo on my fios line but I haven't installed it on my mobile (yet). The calls are starting to ramp up there but the thing that I think is odd is that when I answer some of these calls from unknown numbers the call disconnects / hangs up.

I just saw an announcement for Verizon Call Filter, https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/call-filter/. Unfortunately it's not available for Android yet, as seems to be typical they started with iPhones. Since I am a Verizon customer I plan to try the free version once they release it for Android. I would be interested in hearing about whether it seems to help from anyone who has it installed on their iPhone.

I was about to put Nomorobo on my cell when I saw the Verizon announcement. I think I'll wait for a bit.

I’m pretty happy with T-Mobil’s “Scam likely” notifications and would consider using their Scam Block option if I was getting deluged [1]. I’d then go with Robokiller over Noromobo: 1.1 million phone numbers in its database versus Noromobo’s 800k. Plus, what’s not to love about this unique feature of Robokiller:

Robokiller has the option to answer spam calls with prerecorded audio that aims to waste the bot’s time. Better yet, you can listen back to the recording for your own peace of mind [2].

If the FCC would charge each of one of us 1 penny for every phone call we initiate, the robocallers would cease to exist, a simple regulation from the FCC - some estimates are that robocalls are almost half the phone traffic on the telephone complex, and the robocallers cannot afford to pay 1 penny per phone call.

You and I and most real folks can afford 1 penny to make a legitimate call. For years folks forked over a dime or a quarter to make phone calls from phone booths ( who still remembers phone booths?) back when dimes and quarters still had real purchasing power ( a quarter for a phone call or a gallon of gasoline for example ) - unlike pennies today.

I was about to recommend a Google Pixel or any other Android phone that will get Google's Call Screening feature. It's spreading to more phones and hopefully it'll be available to all Android phones in the near future.

I rarely get any spam calls, since many years ago when I dropped the land line and have been exclusively using google voice as my primary number. There are a lot of features offered for free, voice to text, call screening, rules with hours and such based on groups (friends/family), etc. It rings all my devices to find me, and can be customized in many ways. And free calls to US and Canada, so practically one could do away with the need for even a phone service contract, and could use a computer or tablet, and the internet WIFi, etc. The few real handset phones at home are connected to an Obihai gateway which makes google voice work as a landline too. It was well worth the $20 one time fee I paid six years ago, just to secure a number of my choice.

Last summer when I needed a new smartphone, and a better coverage provider, I did almost get a Pixel phone with their Project Fi, but what turned me off from it was that I was going to lose my Obihai gateway connection (they don't support such devices once really moving over to their network).

In fact, the few spam calls per month I ever receive are mostly through my Verizon cellular number, which I often have trouble even remembering, no real reason to. Someone jokingly said we may be soon offered totally free phone and internet, just so we can feed the internet more data. Gigabit fiber is already being installed on my street and it will cost less than cable internet.

Robocalls annoy me, but not as much as robotexts! I don’t do much to prevent the calls, but anytime I get a robotext, I block the number instantly. I’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the texts since blocking those numbers.

I just received a robocall from my own number! My mom’s friend had the same thing happen to her. I looked it up and it’s becoming pretty common. I of course didn’t answer, but damn this is getting nuts! They’re able to spoof your own number now. Smh 🤦‍♂️

For a really, really long time, I refused to give out my cell phone number to businesses. I do still have a POTS landline (how much longer? I don't know...) and have had that number for nearly 30 years.

I have only given my cell phone number out recently for business use, but can't equate any increase in robocalls to that line as a result. Until I retired a year and a half ago, I couldn't use or even possess my cell phone during the work day, so it was off and kept in locked storage, away from my work area.

The only brute force fix that I can see? Whitelisting numbers, as @Kylo mentioned.

I had an individual from New York call me, quite annoyed, and ask me why I keep calling him - didn't know him, never knew him, never heard of him and actually only know a handful of people in the New York area, and he wasn't one of them. He was quite annoyed - and I suspect he got robocalled with my home number. I wouldn't have answered his call, since I saw the location and number on my landline phone, but I was expecting another call from an individual in that area for a valid reason.

I wonder if the phone companies have any idea how their wired systems have been hijacked. No one is going to use landline phones at all, and a major reason is the robocalling.

I have often commented to my spouse as we drive, how many folks have died, because of robocalls to cell phones to folks who are busy driving in heavy traffic, and thus, have a misadventure due to the distraction of the robocall. I would bet the number of deaths is not less than 3 figures. I don't have data for this, but I wonder if Google might - but after looking at a dozen pages of links I can't seem to find it by searching for "traffic deaths atributed to robocalls to cell phones". You just get links to TV stories about the public's rage at robocallers

Cell phone use has killed a lot of people though, and this link doesn't even mention the "selfies folks" who back off of cliffs while shooting a photo of themselves near a major ledge.

Thinking about robocallers - they are thiefs at the very least, stealing our time and peace of mind. One man in an alley can steal your goods or your life, but what is your life but time here on this mortal plane - and the robocallers steal thousands, ne Millions of minutes of people's time ( let alone trying to actually steal money or information or ID )

I wonder how many minutes of one's time is equal to a lifetime?

~75years x365 days per year X24 hours per dayx60minutes per hour = 39, 420,000 minutes per average lifetime. --- call it 40 million minutes per whole lifetime

How many millions of robocalls are made each year ??? How about 26.3 billion per year in the USA according to THE WASHINGTON POST

26 Billion calls /40million minutes per whole lifetime = 650 whole lifetimes at one minute per call lost to someone. If someone were shooting 650 people a year, law enforcement would be all over them.....

Stealing a lifetime is a capital crime in many localities, but stealing the same amount of time not from one person but from millions of people seems to be a misdemeanor, or worse a freebie. Hmmmm......

Great thoughts! Btw, I’ve seen a surge in phone calls made to me from my own number this week. My sister said robocalls beef up during the tax season with callers posing to be the IRS. I do hope AT&T and other phone companies are able to help put an end to this!

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